Suspect in Knockout Game Video' surrenders to Upper Darby cops

UPPER DARBY — The 18-year-old township man charged in the vicious attack on a homeless veteran last week was identified and arrested, in part, to his own Facebook posting of the incident.

Trent Epps, is now being held at Delaware County prison on $100,000 bail.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to post himself on Facebook in prison, said police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. “It was a mean-spirited act committed for absolutely no reason other than to just be vicious. We won’t tolerate these types of behaviors. Period.”

Epps is the man seen on video walking up to the 58-year-old victim as he sat on a bench at the Aronimink Trolley Station and hauling off and punching him the face, police said.

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The victim, who did not want to be identified, suffered minor injuries and his glasses were broken in the unprovoked attack.

“That’s a wonderful thing,” the victim said, after hearing about the arrest. “Really, keep him off the streets.”

The brutal attack occurred at about 1:10 p.m. June 11 at the trolley stop at the intersection of Burmont Road and Morgan Avenue. The victim, who is homeless, was sitting at the stop minding his own business when one of four teenage boys walked up and punched him in the face.

A surveillance camera across the street from the trolley stop caught the four teens appearing to plan the attack. It shows one of the four walking up to the victim as the others watched. Two of the teens are seen holding up a phone camera and recording the attack. All four ran away afterward.

“When you look at the video, you can see that this was planned, you can see them conspiring,” Chitwood said after seeing the video. “Poor guy is homeless. The bum comes up and cold-cocked him as hard as he could and knocked him to the floor and causes a significant injury to his eye.”

The cellphone video the suspects posted on Facebook shows what some call the knockout game, in which someone walks up to an unsuspecting person and punches them in the face so hard it knocks them out.

Police didn’t learn of the incident until a day after the attack when they began receiving calls from people outraged over what they saw on Facebook. They released copies of two videos to the media — one from the suspect’s Facebook account; the other from a bank across the street from the trolley stop. The attacker’s face was plastered across the front page of the Daily Times Tuesday, while the video was posted on the delcotimes website Monday afternoon.

It wasn’t long before the phone at police headquarters started ringing.

“We must have gotten two dozen calls in less than an hour identifying Trent Epps as the doer,” Chitwood said. “Upper Darby is a great community and people came together.”

With the community’s assistance, along with help from the media, police were able to identify Epps as the culprit. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Tuesday.

Epps’ mother spoke with police and identified her son as the attacker, Chitwood said. She tried to get him to surrender. He eventually did at about 11 p.m. Tuesday.

The victim said he was glad police made an arrest. When asked what he would say to his assailant, the 58-year-old man said he hopes the young man has learned a lesson.

“Get your life straight and stay out of jail. Knock it off,” he said. “Quit trying to hurt people”

According to police, he has no prior contact with law enforcement, but is refusing to provide investigators with any information.

“He has an attitude. He’s not telling us nothing,” Chitwood said. “It’s almost like he’s a prisoner of war.”

Police are still looking for Epps’ three accomplices.

“Come in, cause we’re going to get you sooner or later,” was Chitwood’s advice to the three young men.

Anyone who has information as to their identities is asked to contact Upper Darby police at 610-734-7684 or the anonymous tip line at 610-734-3439. Tips can also be made online at passcriimetips@udpd.org.